We chose 'Olave Mandara' from among 60 stories: Actor Srikanth

While the industry continues to crib about people with zero film knowledge getting involved in the business, there are times when some things go right for everybody concerned too. Olave Mandara, a film that released almost quietly alongside Duniya Vinay’s Kanteerava, seems to have emerged as the surprise winner.
“We are not here for the money,” states the first time producer Govind Raj, who is also the debutant hero’s father. “I believed in my son’s abilities and we are here to make a name for ourselves and for the industry,” he adds.

To do so, Srikanth reveals, “A lot of work went into preparing for this launch. For instance, we went through as many as 60 stories before we figured that this is the one we felt passionate about.”
In fact, a lot of work seems to have gone into making an actor out of this Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishath graduate too. “I am a media arts student. I sketch. One of my biggest projects back in college had to do with global warming wherein we covered the entire college with newspaper art. The idea was to make people aware that we need to take care of our planet before we reach a point of no return,” he recalls. The ambition of becoming an actor began somewhere along the way, “thanks to theatre” says Srikanth.

Rigorous training in acting, dance and fight in Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam was followed by the film that we now see.
“I think people enjoy watching the variety of shades in the character that I play in Olave Mandara. It was a rather challenging one for a first film,” explains Srikanth.